The Benefits of Functional Range Conditioning
Learn to increase mobility, build strength and prevent injury using Functional Range Conditioning
Functional Range Conditioning is a system of training which applies scientific methods to the acquisition and maintenance of functional mobility, articular resilience, and articular health and longevity. It was created by Dr. Andreo Spina and is quickly growing in popularity due to its effectiveness in training mobility of the human body. Mobility refers to the amount of active, usable motion that a person possesses. The more mobile a person is, the more they can maximize their movement potential safely and effectively. It is the difference between being flexible and able to stretch to specific passive ranges versus having actual control into those end ranges of motion. By training mobility one can capture what was once only passive ranges of motion and make them active and therefore usable. This, in turn, enhances the load bearing capacity of a joint and its ability to withstand the forces of everyday activity and sport.
Not only does FRC help to improve the mobility of the human body and develop improved load capacity in the joints, but it also improves body control. Body control is one of the critical factors in reducing the occurrence of injury and painful conditions that frequent training and sport.
To achieve the improvements in mobility, joint strength, and body control FRC implements two critical principles into the system. They are the principle of progressive adaptation and the principle of specificity. The principle of progressive adaptation states that incremental loads applied to the tissue results in adaptation of said tissue in such a way that the load absorption capacity will improve. This also makes FRC an inherently safe system to use. The loads applied to the tissues early on are scaled only to what that person can tolerate. As their tolerance improves so to will the articular strength of the joint. The principle of specificity states that the adaptation of the tissue is specific to the demand. This means by frequently incorporating end range mobility training into the maintenance and training of the human body, one is effectively injury-proofing themselves. The vast array of musculoskeletal injuries occur when tissue is loaded past what it can tolerate or the new demands on the tissue exceed what was previously the norm. By moving the joints of the body through all available ranges of motion and training into these ranges there will rarely be a situation the body is not already prepared for.
At Fox Physical Therapy we always seek to stay on the cutting edge of evidence-based practice. Dr. Fox and Dr. Alexander became certified in FRC last fall. FRC has seamlessly blended into the daily clinical practice and has only enhanced the already great outcomes expected here at Fox. If you are feeling stiff during sports or experiencing aching joints from a sedentary desk job, we encourage you to give us a call. Once in the clinic, you will learn how to perform the necessary maintenance work necessary to keep your body healthy and operating at optimal function.